How can the Bibliotheca Alexandrina be accessed?

The Library can be accessed with daily tickets or monthly and annual memberships.

https://www.bibalex.org/en/page/ba _ visiting?keywords

Is there a single ticket for visiting all sections of the Library, its museums, and exhibitions?

Yes, there is an inclusive ticket that allows visitors to enter the Main Library, in addition to the Manuscript Museum, the Antiquities Museum, the free museums, and the Culturama, except for the Planetarium.

https://www.bibalex.org/en/Page/BA_Visiting?Keywords=

How many admissions does the Library ticket allow its holder?
The Library ticket allows the holder to enter and exit throughout the day without a specific number of times, as long as the ticket is valid on the same day.

How are Culturama shows booked?
Advance booking is required to attend Culturama shows through the Library's guided tours desk or the Culturama desk. Additionally, attending the show requires a Library admission ticket.

Are guided tours available for all family members?
Yes, there is a program called "Family Visit," which is a complete tour for families during the summer and mid-year vacations, covering all sections of the Library except the Planetarium, and it includes the following:
• A historical introduction to the ancient Library of Alexandria and an overview of the new library, its sections, and services.
• The Children and Young People's Libraries.
• The Manuscript Museum.
• The Antiquities Museum.
• The Sadat Museum.
• All permanent and temporary exhibitions inside at the Library.
• Culturama shows.

What are the languages available for guided tours at the Library?
The available languages for guided tours are: Arabic, English, and French.

Are external tour guides allowed to give tours inside the Library?
Yes, external tour guides are allowed to give tours inside the Library or join a guided tour.

Are children allowed inside the Library?

All age groups are allowed to enter the Library, except for children under the age of 4. Visitors under the age of 16 are allowed to visit the public sections of the Library, including the Callimachus Triangle, but they are not allowed to visit the Main Reading area.

Are food and beverages allowed inside the Library?

Food and beverages are not allowed inside the Library. However, there are certain cafés near the Library entrance including the restaurant and café hub on the Plaza and La Poire Café.

What does the Library Gift Shop offer?
The Gift Shop offers souvenirs specific to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and some replicas of artworks from ancient Pharaonic, Roman, and other civilizations, in addition to various Library publications.

Are there ATM machines near the Library?
There is an ATM hub next to the Library's Ticket Office to facilitate financial transactions for visitors.

Are bags allowed inside the Library?

Only handbags are allowed inside the Library. There are also safety deposit boxes for suitcases.

Are personal books allowed for students?

Yes, they are allowed, only after being stamped by the Internal Security Department.

Can the public use personal laptops inside the Library? 

Yes, they can.

Is the Library equipped for people with special needs?

Yes, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is keen on providing a suitable and inclusive environment for people with disabilities. The Library includes the Taha Hussein Library for the blind and visually impaired, in addition to the Special Needs Library. The services of both libraries are offered to users free of charge.
Elevators are also available to facilitate movement between different levels, along with ramps on all floors, ensuring easy access and navigation inside the Library for all visitors with special needs.

Is taking pictures allowed inside the Library?

Photography is allowed except for certain sections on level B1 (the Exhibitions area): Impressions of Alexandria - The World of Shadi Abdel Salam – Selected Works of Hassan Soliman). Please follow the photography instructions and guidelines for each exhibition.

What are the objectives of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina?

The BA aspires to be:

  • The world’s window on Egypt.
  • Egypt’s window on the world.
  • A leading institution of the digital age.
  • A center for learning, tolerance, dialogue and understanding.

Is there any trace remained from the ancient Library of Alexandria?

After the destruction of the ancient Library, no actual papyri survived, but some books were written or translated into other languages, for example, Euclid’s Elements that was passed down through generations. However, recent findings have suggested that there is only one remaining papyrus from the ancient Library that is a copy in which an ancient scholar copied the first lines of satirical wisdom poems in the form of an index to probably be used as a reference. The original copy of this papyrus, dated from around 235 BC, is in the Austrian National Library in Vienna and was found in Egypt in the Fayoum Oasis inside a mummy's sarcophagus, 72 cm wide and 17 cm long and written in ancient Greek.

What does the Library offer to children?

  • The Children's Library contains a large collection of picture books, fiction, science and multimedia books in a variety of languages covering a wide range of topics, as well as a computer lab, an activity room, a storytelling corner, puppet shows and a multimedia corner.
  • The Arts Center strives to nurture and develop children's talents by providing the necessary training and opportunities to refine their skills and enhance their abilities to meet the best artistic and educational standards.
  • The Writing and Scripts Center offers several learning activities aimed at connecting with the local community through its permanent and temporary exhibitions and educational courses and workshops, in addition to lectures to teach children, young people and adults Arabic calligraphy in its various forms. These activities are held in tandem with seasonal cultural lectures.
  • The ALEXploratorium Hall primarily targets children through interactive exhibitions, workshops, programs and other activities aimed at consolidating the principles of science in a simplified and entertaining way.
  • The Antiquities Museum organizes programs and activities aimed at students aged 10 to 16, with the aim of introducing them to archeological and historical heritage through interactive educational methods.

How many exhibitions and museums does the Library have?

The Library houses 4 museums and 16 permanent exhibitions.

How many artworks are displayed inside the Library (not part of exhibitions)?

Approximately 3,000 pieces are on display, while the rest of the art works, which exceed 4,000 pieces of art, are not displayed, but are periodically showcased (by rotation) with the displayed works.

How many events did the BA host in 2024?

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina organized around 2,511 events throughout 2024. An event is defined as an activity or program that takes place within a larger event. For example, the Book Fair is a major event that includes different activities (which may exceed 50), such as seminars, lectures, workshops, and various other cultural and artistic activities.

What is the internet speed inside the Library?

The internet speed inside the Library is 1 GB/s.

What is the current number of books and other material inside the Library?

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina houses nearly two million items of printed collections, including books, manuscripts, maps, periodicals, theses, and other sources of knowledge.
It provides more than 1.8 million digital resources, including books, periodicals, theses, etc., allowing users and researchers to access rich and multidisciplinary information sources.

Besides books, what other materials are available in the Library?

In addition to books, the Library contains electronic and printed books and newspapers, magazines, theses, manuscripts, microfilms, maps, multimedia material, CDs, DVDs, Braille books and  references (including statistical and other reports, encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, bibliographies, indexes, etc.).

What materials can the public access through computers in the Reading Area?

  • Any website subject to the BA security policy.
  • The entire range of e-books available on DAR website.
  • In addition, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a subscriber of 20 databases including:
  1. More than 240,000 e-books.
  2. More than 125,000 electronic journals (a collection of academic articles).
  3. Around 10,000 electronic theses in Arabic.
  4. Electronic encyclopaedias.
  5. Statistics.

Does the public have access to all the books?

No, there are special reading areas at the Manuscripts Museum and Rare Books that the public is not allowed to access. Additionally, parts of the collections, such as theses, are stored in closed areas and must be requested from a specialized desk, as these areas are available to researchers only.

What are the most requested languages in the reading area?

Available languages are: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Turkish, Latin, Swedish, Russian, and Korean.

Has the borrowing system been activated inside the Library?

The BA Library Sector announced the availability of a trial borrowing service for researchers only, which was put into operation starting 1 January 2023. The researcher must be an annual membership holder, as he/she will be allowed to borrow up to two books for a period of two weeks, renewable once. Borrowing is also allowed in the Children and Young People’s Libraries for a renewable period of two weeks, while digital books can be accessed through DAR website.

Can people check their personal email inside the Library?

The public cannot check their personal email in order to avoid any viruses that may infiltrate the Library's internal network.

Does the library accept donations?

Yes, but donations are reviewed before being received to assess the Library’s need for them. For example, the Library received in 2019 around 30,800 donations. The Library receives donations from all over the world - France and the Netherlands are at the top of the list - but it also accepts a huge number of books from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and other countries.